The Goose Girl

The cover caught my eye and the blurbs drew me in. I found this in the Young Adult section while looking for something else. This fantasy story is a retelling of a Brothers Grimm tale (one I was not aware of beforehand). It's told in simple and poetic language and it's a fast read. Anidori-Kiladra, “Ani,” is a crown princess from Kildenree sent on months-long journey to the kingdom of Bayern to be a bride for that kingdom's crown prince. But along the way, her scheming lady-in-waiting overthrows Ani's loyal guards with her own and assumes Ani's identity. Ani barely escapes with her life and eventually becomes a goose girl in Bayern while she tries to figure out a way to reclaim her name and position. I read the last 100 page all in a rush late into last night. This well-told story has a very exciting denouement and I'm looking forward to reading some of the author's other tales set in the kingdom of Bayern. In an appendix, the author has a Q & A and I learned she wasn't setting out to write a “young adult” novel. That whole genre can be a tricky label. Ofttimes I'd have no idea a book was intended for a younger audience if it wasn't stamped with that label. This would make for a good real aloud story.